Despite a strong argument from Kessel to complete the exploration of the cave, the party votes to head outside and continue their mapping project. It takes about 10 minutes to backtrack to the surface. Along the way, Jinx checks out the eggs in the nest. They're almost ready to hatch, so he breaks them all to eliminate future threats. Xon and Adrienne cut some lizard steaks for the evening meal.

Once outside, several group members give the strewn bones and debris a thorough search while others keep watch above and below. They turn up another handful of coins, 11 GP, 31 SP, 89 CP, and a slim gold chain with a small sapphire pendant (no one recognizes it).

Search complete, party members climb up and out into the hot and dry air of the open plain and continue their mapping process. The group heads northeast across the plain toward the low hills in the distance. They put the lowlands behind them with several hours of daylight remaining, so they press on.

The low hills are rocky and fairly barren. Scattered patches of pine and locust grow in the shallow soil, and a few tiny spring-fed stream flow down the south and southeastern slopes to the ocean that's sometimes visible in the distance. Sunset finds the group setting up camp next to a small stream. The lizard steaks prove edible but have an odd taste.

July 24

After spending a quiet night beneath the stars, party members wake up to a breezy morning. Clouds gathering on the eastern horizon suggest a storm brewing, so the group gets moving quickly. They spend a few hours mapping the current area before moving northeast, towards the coast. As the morning progresses, the clouds increase and the wind picks up, carrying the smell of salt and seaweed.

The land ahead is flat and covered with head-high grass that obscures vision. Rocky mounds rise above the plain here and there, allowing the group to get a clear view of their surroundings. The grassland continues to the south and northeast, but the land north is covered in sandy dunes. Aside from innumerable small birds, reptiles, and amphibians, the party sees few signs of life. A few wider trails show that something larger does cross the plain, but the sandy soil doesn't hold prints. The coast is sandy beach dotted with rocks, driftwood, and seaweed.

The rain starts around noon, scattered showers, followed by heavier downpours. Unwilling to trudge through sand in the rain, the party turns northwest and leaves the coastal beaches behind. The rain and tall grass slow mapping progress. Nightfall finds them on a low hill in a sea of grass.

July 25

Sometime after midnight, the rain stops. Dawn sees clear skies and bright sun that quickly dries out the grass and sandy soil, leaving the air humid and hot. The group completes their sweep of the featureless grassland and moves southwest into scrubby hills like those they crossed yesterday. Mid-morning, Candle calls a halt. "What is that?" He points up the slope to the top of a flattened hill. Once he points it out, the object is obvious. A tapered point of red stone rising above the crest of the slope.

"That looks artificial," says Javiera.

"Maybe we should mark its position and come back later to check it out," mutters Kessel, still unhappy that the party didn't completely explore the lizard cave.

Adrienne chuckles and starts climbing the hill; the others follow. When they reach the summit, they get a good view of the surrounding scrubby hills. They also find a stone obelisk:

It's made of red stone with yellow veins, 12 feet tall and 3 feet thick at its widest point. It stands on a 20-foot wide circular platform made of the same stone. Each of the nine sides tapers slightly from bottom to top and is inscribed with a rune near the base [I'll post something in a bit]. There are squared-off holes in each side about four feet above the ground, forming a cupped platform in the center of the obelisk. The tip and base both taper sharply and the connection between the obelisk and the support platform is less than a foot thick.

From the dirt and plant growth around the platform's edge, it doesn't look like this thing sees many visitors. There are no tracks or trails nearby.

End Date: July 25, early afternoon
End Status: Mmm. Pointy.
End Location: In the Wilderness (hex 39,26)

2 comments:

I made the world map using Hexographer for the hexes and icons, with some extra work in Inkscape (roads and rivers) and Gimp (labels). You can do roads, rivers, and labels in Hexographer, I like the look I get using other programs a bit more.